The Crackman Podcast

When it comes to Basement Waterproofing paints, it's a case of pros and cons. In this episode, the Crackman reveals when he WOULD and when he WOULD NOT use basement waterproofing paints and why.

Stone foundations...what are they and what happens when natural aging causes the mortar holding them together breaks down. The Crackman covers the issues and when to repoint the fieldstones.

We've talked about waterproofing paint in the past and, well...let's just say it's not what you want to use for fixing cracks. But in this episode we want to cover the pros and cons of waterproofing paint.

How the heck does a basement flood in the middle of a drought? Don't you need to have, you know, water to flood? In this episode the Crackman analyzes this unusual phenomenon.

Typically, the Crackman's stories describe the terrors of finding a flooded basement but this episode is like something right out of a horror movie. Rich talks about this invasion of mice and what he did to prevent the varmints from coming back in.

We've talked about the "fool proof" waterproofing/leak stopping method known as Flexseal before and the Crackman keeps calling out issues whenever he sees it. Here is another sad story of a homeowner trying to fix a problem with Flexseal.

Have you noticed a gap where your basement floor meets the basement wall? If so, you are not alone. Should you fix it? Leave it alone? Listen and find out.

So you are thinking about finishing your basement to improve the resale value of your house. Is that a wise investment? The Crackman reveals some interesting facts and statistics that just may surprise you.

The Crackman answers definitively this burning question: Should a foundation crack be fixed before listing a house?

The Crackman was called into a job recently that you won't believe. He had to help someone who was trying to dig out their own basement.

This is another quick tip from the Crackman on how to determine the cause of puddles in a parking garage.

So you notice a little puddle of water on your basement floor. Should you pack up the family and get the heck outta Dodge or could it be something less worrisome? Listen and find out.

One of the most important tenets of selling your home is curb appeal, and if your house's foundation on the exterior looks pitted and cracked, it can kill a sale very quickly. In this episode, The Crackman talks about how to deal with this issue and increase the value of your home.

In this episode, the Crackman explains how basements can become damp and humid, and covers 4 common sense do-it-yourself tips on how to prevent it.

Most people have a bit of the DIY spirit in them and hope to defray maintenance costs by doing as much as they can before hiring a pro. In this episode, the Crackman shares his 4 best tips a homeowner can do to prevent basement water.

Let's say you go downstairs to your basement and find the beginnings of your own personal water park. Obviously, the first thing that comes out of your mouth is a swear word. Then, you're going to have to call a pro to solve the problem, but you need to figure out how all that water got there. What's the first thing you look for?

This is a very interesting case study about how an incorrectly installed lally column woke a homeowner at night and almost totaled his home.

Once again, the Crackman covers a real life case study--this time about a lally column failure in a home with severe foundation issues.

Believe it or not, having a gap where one's sidewalk meets the foundation is a common problem that is certainly an issue but easily fixed. This episode discusses how to remedy the situation.

Some small concrete repair jobs can be done by DIYers, others are best left to the pros. In this podcast, the Crackman discusses both situations and when it's best to bring in the big guns.

This episode discusses what types of lally columns will home inspectors be be looking at, what problems home inspectors will identify with lally columns, and how you fix them.

Some homeowners are sealing up their basement bulkheads, walk-outs, and windows, but they've been running into issues where the do-it-yourselfers have had some pretty serious leaks associated with novice work. In this episode, The Crackman talks about what he's seeing in the field and how he's helping homeowners solve their DIY messes.

So you've got a quote from a crack repair company and it seems a little high so you're thinking about doing it yourself. Listen to this episode before you do.

Imagine walking down to your basement and finding a lake. You've got 2 options: grab a fishing pole or start taking care of the problem. What would you do? Tune in to find out what to do first.

We've been talking about basement cracks for quite a while now on this podcast. In this episode, the Crackman reveals the most common cracks he sees and how he fixes them.